SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6600

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Requires all state hospitals to be licensed in the same manner as private psychiatric hospitals by June 30, 2021.
Allows a state hospital to be deemed to meet licensure standards by achieving accreditation by the federal Medicare program or a national accreditation agency.

Background: Licensing of Private Establishments. The Department of Health (DOH) regulates "establishments" which are defined as places receiving or caring for persons with mental illness or substance use disorder. To become licensed to operate an establishment, a person must receive a certificate of need for the project, obtain approval of facility plans under the construction review process, obtain approval from the state director of fire protection, and successfully complete a DOH survey of the facility. Establishments must comply with DOH regulations regarding clinical facilities, patient care services, staffing, patient safety, clinical records, and pharmacy and medication services.

DOH may conduct inspections at any time to determine compliance with establishment standards. DOH may issue a statement of deficiencies if it finds the establishment is not in compliance with operating standards. Failure to correct the deficiencies may result in denial, suspension, modification, or revocation of the establishment license.

Sanctions for Health Care Facilities. DOH licenses several types of health care facilities, including hospitals, establishments, and ambulatory surgical facilities. If an inspection or survey identifies noncompliance with health care facility standards, DOH may require the facility to submit a correction plan to address each of the deficiencies. DOH may also, for good cause, deny, suspend, revoke, or modify a license or provisional license. In the case of ambulatory surgical facilities, DOH may assess civil monetary penalties up to $1,000 per violation. Operating an establishment without a license may result in imprisonment and a fine of to $1,000.

Summary of Bill: All state hospitals in Washington must be licensed by DOH in the same manner as private psychiatric hospitals by June 30, 2021, and subject to oversight and inspection.

A state hospital certified by the federal Medicare program, the Joint Commission, or another national accreditation agency is not subject to state inspection if:

an on-site accreditation survey has been conducted during the previous 24 months;
the standards used are substantially equivalent to those used by DOH; and
DOH receives copies of the survey reports directly from the agency and they indicate compliance with DOH's licensure requirements.